


From the Ashes

by Lady_eclipse



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-16 19:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8115154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_eclipse/pseuds/Lady_eclipse
Summary: The Reapers fall, a legend is born but what happens next? This picks up where the game left off to offer a little more closure and a much happier ending.





	1. Chapter 1

From the Ashes

 

Author's Note: This is canon folks…(with some interesting finagling of the various endings) Naturally this is full of spoilers but you are probably like me and played the game and needed something far more fulfilling than what we were left with. Please enjoy and bear with the inevitable grammar and spelling mistakes...I kind of did this in a few hours as a kind of catharsis. More chapters likely to follow.

 

"Choose."  
An emotionless voice shaped by the lips of a little boy...a lie. Everything up until this point based on some form of mad calculus by a machine. Even the geth knew better than that. And after years of struggling, the deaths of billions, loss heaped upon loss, Shepard stood at the precipice left with woefully inadequate choices. Destroy. Control. Merge. Destruction meant the loss of those she had loved and fought to save. The geth and EDI deserved so much more. Control was an illusion and no creature should ever wield the Reapers. Not even herself. This left merging...synthesis...a complete unknown with unknown consequences. But this was the only option that allowed everyone to live and still end the shadow of the Reapers forever.  
Blood pooled at Shepard's feet as she wearily stared at the various beams of light before her. Choices to change the galaxy forever and she was struggling just to remain conscious. Her body was long past destruction and will alone kept it together long enough for this one last task. It was a miracle that her brutalized body had even stood again after the initial hit. Her flesh was reduced to a mass of burns, lacerations, broken bones, and blood.  
The machine droned on prompting her but Shepard closed her eyes to it. It was just so certain it was right, her brief conversation with it had confirmed this. There was no convincing it, as there had been no hope of convincing the Illusive Man. For all that the Catalyst mocked him, they had a hell of a lot in common that way.  
Shepard staggered a few steps forward, her muscles shredding and screaming in protest. A ragged breath was drawn through bloody lips and a collapsed lung. Was this how Thane felt in the end? Her vision swam before her as she forced her body forward remembering all those who had touched her, motivated her, inspired her...all those that she loved enough to make this sacrifice. No illusions, no matter the choice; her flesh was even beyond Cerberus' capabilities. So she had to make sure she did this right. No third chances. No way to make up for failures.  
More dragging steps forward and she felt something inside snap. No matter, the blood loss was nicely numbing her body...sparing her from further agony. Not much time left now. The gun dropped from listless fingers...all strength was pooled to the almost impossible task of moving forward.  
Shepard's vision winked in and out, her body shook threatening to break completely. Just a little more...a face swam before her eyes...the most beloved face she had ever known. Piercing, intelligent blue eyes...fluttering mandibles...an intensely tender expression even readable in such a foreign face. Shepard's heart clenched and tears mixed with blood. 'You're strong enough now...stronger than even me...I'll watch you move mountains while waiting at the bar...' 

Her mind dazedly wandered to all the precious moments she had been allowed to share with him in this desperate journey. His love, his triumphs, his passion, his kindness, his ferocity. She clung to those sweet moments using them as the last propulsion to force her body the last few running steps. 'For you...live and rebuild...show the world what you're capable of Vakarian...don't let those memories die...I'll always be waiting...only for you...'  
Green light exploded around her as she tumbled into the beam. All sensation fell away except the wash of probing light and energy. She felt herself fading away...being pulled apart somehow, almost likes someone was opening her up and taking pieces away. Memories of her beloved crew drifted past eyes becoming laconic. All of her triumphs and agonies, joys and losses...her love...bigger than anything she had ever known in the galaxy. They filled her and then spilled outside of her into the light.  
Shepard smiled holding close to her heart her most precious image, girding herself against the quiet blackness and stillness she was receding into.

*************************************************************

 

"Damn it, Joker! Land!" Garrus yelled gripping the back of the leather seat hard enough to rend. Joker flinched but kept the controls steady.  
"I can't! I can't break through the Reaper line! We'll all die trying!"  
"Shepard is on the Citadel all alone! We have to get her out of there!" Garrus practically shook with tension...the only thing that prevented him from completely loosing control...completely giving into the terror building inside of him was his strict training. "I couldn't get to her...but that last beam...she was...she was..." His voice shook too badly for him to continue, his throat constricted painfully. The sight of her broken and bloody body limping into that transportation beam...all alone. Garrus shook his head, he would not allow her to finish this alone. He would not let her leave him like this. A bar in heaven was not good enough! If this is what the war had come down to then she wouldn't face it alone.  
"I know! Don't you think I know, Garrus?" Joker practically wailed from the console. "I can't reach her and she could be up there dying all by herself!" Joker swallowed heavily a few times then his voice steadied with determination. "But I promised her that we would be there waiting for her when this is over. I promised that she wouldn't come back to a dead crew." Garrus' mandibles flared and he spun around ready to steal the cruiser even if it was a horribly foolish thing to do. Panic and pain seared through all logic...the image of her...how close to death she seemed...wouldn't give sway to anything else. His movement was sharply jarred by a sudden jolt through the cockpit. The Normandy heaved again and this time sent him sprawling to the floor. Garrus quickly got to his feet again and his eyes flew towards the completed Crucible looming in the distance. Ships flitted around it shooting pale shots of light at the menacing Reapers. A sharp burst of green illumination filled the open arms of the Citadel and everything seemed to still on the battlefield. The light brimmed over and spilled forcefully out into the yawning void of space. It felt as if an explosion rocked throughout the area and the Normandy groaned in protest.  
"Shepard..." A whisper from Joker echoed by a scream in Garrus' heart. More waves of light and explosions burst forward and before any protest could be launched, Joker was expertly disengaging the Normandy from the onslaught and heading with reckless speed towards the Mass Effect Relay. Words and action escaped Garrus as the the Normandy was thrown about in the tide of explosions. Garrus held on but felt a part of himself being ripped away as they fled the explosions of where his heart was. All the sweet dreams he had privately nursed where no one could laugh at the hardened Vigilante's naive hopes were shredded before his eyes. Dreams of spiriting Shepard away somewhere warm and being able to keep her all to himself. Being able to laugh with her and share more of the wonderful differences between their species. Even having fun thinking of children even if it was impossible...all of it gone...all light and joy stolen. There had only been duty and coldness before Shepard. Then she had burst into his life full of fire and passion, and an irresistible 'damn the consequences' smile that had him helplessly enamored from the beginning. Shepard had shown him his strength, his own fire. She had shown him impossible love and joy. Without her was the cold void as cruel and merciless as space itself. He had known that coldness for two miserable years.

More explosions had the ship almost screaming. Joker was shouting but Garrus couldn't hear it above the commotion. Then, Normandy began to slow even as she bitterly tried to pull forward. Garrus felt it then, they were being caught in the implosive aftershocks so common in space warfare. The ship started to give way, losing the desperate battle to break free. Garrus' eyes closed and he hoped they had good Turian wine to share with Shepard in heaven. His wrenching heart welcomed the promise of release. The Normandy cried out one last time and then was ripped forcefully backward tumbling wildly into the green light.

*****************************************************

 

Joker was the first to stumble out into the lush vibrance of the vegetation. Wonder colored his green tinted eyes as he limped out further studying the beauty of the world surrounding him. With a slightly foolish grin, Joker turned and held out a hand to EDI who hovered just inside the hatch. EDI took it with a hint of amusement at the gesture and stepped out. The sun set off a green sheen to her metallic skin. Joker stood staring at the horizon dipped in gentle hues of lavender and blue dumbly; still in shock about survival. EDI pressed up against him and he obligingly wrapped an arm around her.  
The rest of the crew slipped out next, all amazed and subdued by the beauty of the world surrounding them and drunk on the realization that life was secured for all the surviving beings. Reports flooded the comm links of the Reaper's disappearance. Shepard had prevailed.  
Garrus emerged last and numbly surveyed the landscape searching for threats and ideal positioning as all good Turians had been trained to do since they could walk. There was nothing left inside him and he welcomed the oblivion. The hell of existence when the shock wore off with be unbearable. He desperately focused on scanning for resources, shelter, anything at all to keep his mind from what lay behind him. His scanner impersonally listed environmental details, registered the heartbeats of his comrades, noted the wind velocity, and flashed a small warning regarding the smoke coming off of the battered Normandy. He stared at a plume of smoke in the distance absently for a full minute before registering the strangeness of it. Then life around him sharply pulled back into focus with all the subtlety of a Krogan stampede. All sensation slammed into his chest. All the pain, the loss, the bittersweet joy of victory and the emptiness left in its wake, the aching of his bones. His mind finally stopped tuning out the mindless chatter on his comm link and words started to make sense again.  
"...yea...that's where the remains of the Citadel fell." An unknown soldier's voice intoned.  
"Confirmed. Evidence of the wreckage appears to be within three miles of the crash site." EDI stated. With that Garrus sprinted forward.  
"Extraction is going to be considerably difficult what with the relays being destroyed. Will you be able to survive for a while until something can be worked out with conventional travel?" Was that Hacket's voice? Garrus ran without thought to the bruises and injuries sustained from the fighting and the crash. He stormed thought the bushes and trees without any regard eyes ever towards the looming gray smoke.  
"Environmental conditions are similar to Earth and the atmosphere is compatible with respiratory functions of the organic crew members." EDI paused a moment. "However, significant physiological changes have occurred in all crew members. Further analysis will be needed to determine survivability and the unknown environment." The words were meaningless to Garrus as the plume of smoke thinned but grew closer. Hackett sighed over the comm link,  
"Yea, what's left of our science team is at a loss about that too. For now, we'll just have to figure it out as we go and focus on surviving the aftermath. Some small luck that you're able to reach us EDI so we can share information. We'll try to extract you as soon as possible. Keep me posted."  
"Will do." Joker said a little breathlessly. Was he running? Garrus had no mind for the rest of the crew. All he knew was that even if he had failed her, he wouldn't leave her lifeless body to be eaten by animals. Shepard would have the proper burial of a hero...a legend...a treasured piece of his soul.  
His first glimpse of the wrecked Citadel spilled before him as Garrus heedlessly pushed through the clinging vines and the debris scattering the area. Garrus was gasping wildly for air yet still pushed his body further. His mind raced in confusion at this insane flight. What was the point? She was dead, why torture himself like this? Why break the last bit of sanity he had left? He was already hopelessly broken...and maybe that was it. His heart couldn't let go, desperately needed to see her again, in any way. It needed to cling to anything even knowing that the last of himself would break when he lay eyes on that wreckage. Maybe all he was looking for was a last straw...  
Garrus came to an abrupt stop several yards into the decimated husk of twisted metal spread for miles. Large chunks of the Citadel decorated the ground like a mad impressionist's painting. Garrus felt at a loss, where to begin? And what would he do if...when...he found her? How would he survive seeing her beautiful and strange body as a lifeless...  
Even thoughts failed him and he sank heavily to his knees. His mind was unable to cope, unable to move. He stayed locked in silent agony of the inevitable.  
His visor flickered another wind change modification for firing, adjusted scoping for smoke to increase visibility. And registered a faint pulse 300 yards southeast. Garrus tilted his head up expecting a crew member to be standing nearby, having finally caught up. But saw no one. His mind focused again on comm link but it was silent for the time being. His heart stuttered as he shifted his gaze southeast. There was a decently intact section that must have been sheltered by the other sections upon impact. It was still a hunk of wreckage but still held some form and shape. Garrus' body lurched back to its feet and moved forward. Garrus walked as if in a dream. The pulse continued to register but remained weak and hesitant. No...it couldn't be...it must be some small animal caught in the blast...  
A harsh gasp echoed through the silent rubble.  
Garrus couldn't recall exactly what happened next but one moment he was was haltingly stepping forward and the next he was cradling Shepard's body in his arms desperately yelling into his Comm link. Exclamations of shock and incredulity greeted him but he could also hear the sounds of running.  
Garrus stared down at her charred and decimated armor. Her flesh was no better than it had looked as he watched her run into her doom on Earth. And yet...that same flesh impossibly continued to draw shaky breath, and a gentle heartbeat continued to flicker on his visor.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Notes: Some clarification is needed about the perfect ending. Technically, you have to destroy the reapers to allow Shepard to live but that angers me. I don't want to have to sacrifice the Geth and EDI just so Shepard can live. I fell in love with them damn it! So, I'm mixing and matching a bit as this is my fantasy here. I once again wrote this in a few hours so please forgive any errors or rushed/sharp transitions. I'll probably go back and fix it one day to be better fleshed out but I just needed to get this out of my head for now. Thanks to those who have been reading!

 

Chapter 2

 

Blackness, thick and enveloping. It suffocated all feeling and thought. At times, she drifted closer to the surface and some things would reach through the dense mass. Surges of horrible pain greeted her and she would shy away from it back into the darkness. Yet, time and again, she would drift back towards the pain...it seemed as though something very important was on the other side of it...something she needed if she could only find the strength to push through. But she was too weak, everything was too heavy...the burden too deep and she slipped away again. Each time she would find the will to drift toward sensation she noticed that the pain eased slightly and seemed somehow more contained. Was she becoming stronger, or was something else changing? Her ability to approach sensation increased and at times indistinct sounds would echo through the syrupy dark. Some were high or low, some of them had a strange vibration to them. Each one seemed so precious in some vague way and made her want to keep trying to find her way through the pain.  
Then came a time where the blackness receded and she found herself pushed fully into a sea of pain. The blackness and its sweet escape had deserted her but the price of the pain was rewarded with more of those sweet sounds. They were more distinct and sometimes she could even feel a warmth on her through the agony. She wanted to vent the pain, the joy but nothing responded to her will and she was left to float in this place helpless to the cruel sensations.   
Instead she focused fiercely on the sounds, the warmth, and even the blessed periods of nothingness in between.

***************************************************

In the medbay Garrus half sat in the chair but rested his head on folded arms at the edge of the bed staring intently at its occupant. His eyes burned with fatigue but he refused to allow them to close. Despite the various sounds of the medical equipment perched nearby quietly noting all vital stats, he relied instead on the steady feed of information through his visor. Somehow that visor felt more trustworthy than a bunch of indifferent medical devices. After all, his algorithms and programs had never failed a shot and had been the one to find her. Every now and then he would indulge himself and allow himself to carefully brush a finger along a patch on unscathed skin on her arm. There was precious little of it and she was nearly swathed head to toe in bandages. Dr. Chakwas had completed several surgeries to to repair internal damage and it seemed as though the synthetics that had been used to bring her back to life had served to preserve her again. If he ever got to see Miranda again, he owed her a lot of drinks. He drank in the subtle rise and fall of her chest and let the lull of her heart monitor soothe him.  
"If you keep this up, then you'll need medical attention yourself." Dr. Chakwas noted sardonically from where she sat at her desk. Garrus shrugged noncommittally.  
"Then I would be able to sleep here without more cross species jokes from Joker." Just outside of medbay was the continuous drone of repairs. The Normandy would take a lot to be flight worthy but the crew was able to get a lot of the critical functions on line and they were able to continue using the Normandy as shelter and support. The crew often made foraging trips to the wreckage of the Citadel to recover any serviceable bits to help repair all of the hull breaches. Garrus had lacked the heart to help on that expedition. Instead, when he wasn't focused on watching Shepard, he worked on establishing security, helped with any necessary hunting, organized scouting parties to discover more about their temporary home, and oversaw continued training and conditioning regimens in conjunction with James. Tali spent most of her time working with Adams in engineering to get the life support systems and mass effect drive on board. Liara and EDI spent a fair amount of time with their heads together jointly working on the biological changes of the crew and establishing ways to ensure the non humans were getting the proper nutrients from the available food supply. The distractions of survival were helpful but each moment away from Shepard left him an anxious wreck. It almost felt like if he wasn't there silently willing her to take another breath, then she would just fade away.  
Garrus' visor flickered an indication that her heart rate had slightly increased pulling him from his thoughts. This had been happening with increased frequency as the days had gone by but each pulse spike only resulted in her returning to deeper sleep. Dr. Chakwas had reassured him that this was completely normal in the healing phase for humans. Normal it might be, but it didn't stop his heart going into his throat each time with the hope that the spike would pull her back into consciousness. As he watched her face longingly he caught the faintest tightening around her eyelids. Garrus wrapped his hand around hers lying prone against the linen sheets. More movement of the eyelid and she took a deep breath like a sleeper just coming awake. Garrus held his breath staring intently at her fluttering lids desperately willing them to open. "Shepard." He murmured insistently. Her pulse increased and her breath quickened and he was rewarded with a glimpse of color from her eyes as her heavy lids finally cracked open. Garrus' grip tightened around her hand and her eyes fully opened. Her lips parted but all she managed was a breathless groan. "Shepard." He leaned forward intently. Her groggy eyes focused on him and the corners of her lips tipped up ever so slightly. Her fingers twitched in his grasp. A strangled gasp broke free from his throat as he leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead to hers. His frame trembled with the effort to control the urge to hold her tightly. He opened his eyes at the feather light touch on his scarred cheek. Her hand rested there weakly. "Spirits, Shepard." He held her hand in place and was incapable of any further speech.  
"Garrus..." Her voice was hoarse and faint but still filled with that unrepentant fire. "...had to come back...bar only served...Krogan drinks..." Choked laugher filled the room.

********************************************************

 

A few nights after Shepard regained consciousness, it was decided that she could be safely returned to her own quarters for a little more peace and quiet. And, perhaps, to allow Garrus a better night's sleep since he refused to ever leave the medbay when not on duty. Her periods of wakefulness were limited but each time she awakened was a small miracle to Garrus and each time she came back a little more alert, a little more herself. Dr. Chakwas still made regular rounds to check on Shepard and apply a healthy dose of medigel on the healing wounds. Otherwise, Garrus blessedly had her to himself. He was finally able to give in to the desperate need to sleep next to her where he could better ensure that she still breathed, that her heart still beat in her fragile human chest. Where he could touch her soft skin as much as he wanted to feel the flush of life there. With his field medic training, Chakwas even allowed him to care for the more mundane tasks such as cleaning and bandaging wounds. When awake, Shepard would only smile and shake her head at his solemn ritual of delicately caring for her and urging her to eat some of the bland broth Dr. Chakwas insisted that she drink when she could. For being so fiercely self reliant, she was taking her helplessness in stride...or perhaps it was just one more thing she allowed knowing that he needed to take care of her more than she needed to feel independent. It was just one more thing he cherished about her. She would unfailingly give of herself if it meant comfort for her crew. Garrus' reward for his hard work was to be able slip into her large commander's bed next to her and wrap himself in her scent and be lulled to sleep by the steady beat of her heart.

*****************************************************

Shepard's eyes drifted open but that was all she was able to do at the moment. Her body felt incredibly heavy and weak and just beyond that waves of pain ebbed behind a wall of narcotics. Her body quite clearly informed her that movement would have dire consequences. Sleep tried to pull her back into its healing embrace but she struggled against it for a moment. She felt Garrus firmly at her back and the deep rumblings in his throat sent a pleasant tingle through her skin. A sleepy smile found its way across her lips. That had been her second favorite perk to sleeping next to a Turian. Of course number one was still the fact that his skin's slightly abrasive quality made for the best back scratcher she'd ever had. A fact that had constantly amused him but he never complained about her wriggling against him for a moment or two when a persistent itch hit. He probably didn't mind because that kind of wriggling always led to an itch of another nature.

He lay carefully arranged for the maximum amount of contact to uninjured areas. His arm was draped gently around her side and his hand curled around her arm...or more specifically, where the brachial artery was.  
She had started to notice that whenever he slept his fingers would always find a way to one of her pulse points. His arm would either happen to rest along hers so that the pads of his fingers rested lightly on her wrist or a loose embrace would end with his fingers falling along the carotid artery. His favorite seemed to be when he could rest in a way that his head could lean upon her chest without risking any further injury to the healing flesh. She had a feeling that if he could find a way to comfortably sleep with his visor on he would. Shepard covered his hand with her free one and was soothed back to sleep by the gentle purring of a content Turian behind her.

************************************************

 

Shepard shifted into a more comfortable position propped up with pillows, then promptly shifted again. She sighed gustily and stared out of the skylight above her bed thoughtfully. It had been weeks since her decimated body had been brought into the medbay and another week in her own quarters more asleep than awake. But for the past five days, the lethargy had finally left her. Five days. Five days of lying in the same bed staring up at the same skylight. Shepard hated this stage of recovery. She had recovered enough to not be sleeping constantly but her body was far too damaged to allow for anything else. Dr. Chakwas had made significant progress along with a little help from Liara's knowledge and, oddly, some of Javik's combat medic skills. Shepard's lips twitched at the thought that Protheans had to be so damn advanced that even their field medicine was that good. The broken bones had set nicely and her synthetics were holding on beautifully. Most of the lacerations were well on their way to healed and the biggest hurdle remained recovering from the internal damage and recovering from the almost lethal amount of blood loss she had suffered.  
Shepard shifted again and sent another glance out the window. No one had come by for almost twenty-three minutes to insist that she lay still and behave like a good invalid. Joker had smuggled her OmniTool to her but EDI had then promptly hacked it and ensured that her access was information only...no trying to take on duties again. In what EDI must have considered a calculated attempt at consolation, a few games and vids had been uploaded. Not helpful to a high energy commander who was desperately worried about her crew and the necessary logistics of establishing stability.  
Dr. Chakwas had said some supervised physical therapy could begin but it would consist of small bed bound movements and exercises. Shepard suppressed the urge to snort at the thought. She had already lost two years of her life, she'd be damned if she had to spend any more time stuck in bed. EDI and the rest of the crew had been very good about keeping her posted on all developments, issues, and progress but weren't coming to her for problems. It seemed that the crew had banded together and were each taking different leadership roles in the interim. It also helped that ongoing contact with Earth was possible thanks to EDI and the advanced communications systems of the Normandy.  
Shepard shifted a third time and decided to start working on some strength building exercises of her own. Her limbs now seemed to be in much better shape except for her right leg which had born some of the worst damage. It couldn't support much weight yet but Dr. Chakwas assured her that eventually she should be able to gain full mobility if she was careful in her recovery. Shepard sat up fully ignoring the wave of pain her abdominal muscles sent at being used while still mending. She carefully eased her legs off the side of the bed and let them dangle harmlessly while she rested for a moment. Shepard wanted to gnash her teeth and the thought of getting out of bed being such a trial for the woman who had stopped the Reaper invasion. As Kal Reagar once so eloquently put it, it was damn insulting. Shepard braced her arms on either side of herself and eased closer to the edge of the bed. The right leg wouldn't be able to do anything but her left leg could start pulling its weight. Just as her foot touched to cool floor the door opened with a cheerful whoosh. 'Damn'  
"Shepard." A flanging voice admonished. Shepard glanced over her shoulder and tried to look commanding and confident. Garrus folded his arms over his chest and stared right back.  
"Garrus." She shot back. Damn, the closer they got the more confident and strong willed Garrus got. Intimidation and persuasion no longer worked. And since the Citadel...well...he was downright bossy.  
"That doesn't look like one of Dr. Chakwas' approved activities." He strolled into the room coming to a stop in front of her. Shepard maintained the eye contact trying to keep her cool commander poise despite the building fatigue and throbbing pain of abused muscles.  
"Those exercises are a little slow. I'm just upping the speed to match my capabilities."  
"And as capable as you are," he leaned forward and lightly placed his hands over her own caging her in his arms, "you are overextending yourself." Shepard opened her mouth to retort but was stopped by him firmly pressing his stiff lips to her own. "That was too damned close, Shepard. For once, just take it easy...for me." Shepard sighed in defeat,  
"That's really not playing fair."  
"Of course not, I am a vigilante after all." A grin tugged at her lips despite herself.  
"At any rate, I figured you were getting a little tired of these four walls and decided you needed a little change of scenery. Otherwise I hear Dr. Chakwas is contemplating heavier sedatives and restraints to keep you still." Shepard's eyes lit up at this, she hadn't seen the outside since she regained consciousness. The crew had brought her images and vids of the lush jungle surrounding them but that was hardly the same as experiencing it. Shepard eased a little more forward on the bed letting her foot rest firmly on the floor. Before she could determine the extent of her leg's durability Garrus scooped her into his arms. Shepard arched an eyebrow,  
"Doesn't this break protocol?"  
"Not only a vigilante but a bad Turian too. If you recall, I'm bad at following orders." Shepard clutched at his cowl and tried to scowl to stop herself from smiling. She didn't like the idea of the crew seeing her so helpless but she desperately needed to get out of the ship. Garrus looked down at her with flared mandibles and what appeared to be an amused expression.  
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" She accused, but didn't have the heart to be upset about it. He just looked so pleased that it rubbed off on her and made her want to see him even happier. That was probably why he was the only creature in the universe she would let herself miss a shot for. The look on his face had been worth any hit to her pride as a marksman.  
"Immensely." He carried her through the doors and towards the emergency stairs. The elevator was not operational yet. "I am the only person in the galaxy that can get away with this after all."  
"For now. But when I get strong enough to get you into the sparing ring it will be a different story." Garrus' mandibles flared out a bit and mischief lit up his eyes.  
"I can't wait."  
Garrus ended up carrying Shepard out of the Normandy and through a recently cleared trail through the vegetation. All around them was the buzz of activity from external repairs to the Normandy, to groups of the crew going through training exercises. Garrus' path led him away from the activity and he ducked through a line of trees following a steep incline. By the time they reached a break in the trees again, they had reached a small clearing ending in a cliff overlooking the vibrant scenery and the stunning colors of the horizon. A little ways out the Normandy could still be seen but none of the sounds reached them there. Garrus approached the edge and settled into a sitting position while still holding Shepard close. He arranged her comfortably in his lap and kept his arms wound around her. Shepard closed her eyes for a moment drinking in the serenity.  
"It's so beautiful." She murmured as she leaned into his embrace. A gentle wind whispered through the trees and toyed with her hair. Garrus nodded,  
"Not a bad place to be stranded. And it's probably the only way you would ever take a vacation."  
"Nothing like a little enforced R&R." A companionable silence spread between them for a few moments and she casually scratched the sensitive area below his fringe. Garrus purred in response and tightened his hold. "So...how have things been going on the ship?" Garrus chuckled,  
"Are you trying to get my guard down for a briefing on the situation?"  
"Yes. It's this or I start getting creative. I'm a little tired of being out of the loop."  
"Only the great Commander Shepard would fight even a forced leave. Very well, Commander, here's the situation. So far Tali and I have been mixing our rations with the the food they've been collecting. It seems that we're able to at least partially benefit from it but the latest tests indicate we need some extra nutrients to augment it. EDI and the scientists from the Alliance are still working on artificial supplements until a more permanent solution is found. For now, we aren't at any risk of starvation and should be able to do just fine for however long it takes. So far the travel situation is pretty high on the list of priorities considering that all of the galaxy's leaders are stuck on Earth along with the bulk of their military strength. Regular communication is helping but there is a lot of very different species stuck uncomfortably close to each other. I honestly think the exhaustion of surviving the universe's most dire and hopeless war is the only thing keeping civility. The Geth have been invaluable in that arena. Since they don't have to worry about pesky things like eating, sleeping, and breathing, they are making a lot of progress establishing stations at key points on travel routes for ships to restock fuel and supplies. They are also responsible for working to establish and maintain the communication lines. I'll bet there isn't anyone in the galaxy grumbling about their existence now. Hackett estimates that it could be a least a few months before a ship could reliably come get us and then even longer to make it to our respective home worlds from Earth. This enforced distance is making a lot of people think carefully about long term plans since the galaxy just got a lot bigger." Shepard's fingers stilled for a moment,  
"I wonder what that means for Alliance soldiers." Garrus' hand pressed against her cheek turning her gaze to meet his.  
"I don't care what the Alliance says, you've done enough. I intend to make good on my plans to whisk you away somewhere warm well away from politics and war. We can spend our time recalling the 'good old days' and I'll teach you how to make a gun dance...among other things." Shepard laughed and a wry grin tugged at her lips.  
"And damn biology, we'll won't stop trying to see what a human-turian baby would look like." Garrus pressed his lips to hers cradling her head in his hand.  
"Now you're talking."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: A little quicky peak at some fun highlights of Garrus having to take care of Shepard. Idea probably isn't very original but still really fun to write. 

 

CARE TAKING

 

"You know, Liara could probably help with this." Shepard flatly told Garrus as he picked her up from her rumpled nest of sheets.  
"Uh huh." He replied as he made his way to the bathroom.  
"You've just spent the last fourteen hours straight working on setting up a security grid."  
"A pretty damn good one at that." The door slid open revealing that he had already piled up the necessary equipment to the side.  
"Not even mentioning that four hours of sleep was the only break between that and your ten hour stint helping with the hull patches."  
"That's right." His mandibles flared and his voice betrayed pride. Shepard huffed a little as he gently set her on her feet allowing her to lean heavily on the wall.  
"Turians." She shook her head in defeat. The mandibles spread wider in a turian grin,  
"How can you deny me my favorite part of the day?" Shepard quirked a skeptical eyebrow at him at that. Garrus didn't respond right away but instead began unsnapping the fasteners on her shirt and eased it carefully off her shoulders and pulled it free of her arms. Not regulation attire, but necessary for an invalid that still had trouble raising her arms over her head thanks to a healing shoulder laceration. Garrus then kneeled and coaxed her pants down her hips. "You actually think this is a chore?" His hand takes the time to caress a hip before he then begins to unwind the various bandages striping her body.  
"Well..." Shepard hazarded, but she found it a little hard to think between the throb of wounds tempered with little caresses here and there.  
"It's not like I can...make it...more...enjoyable for you...for a while." Something Shepard vowed to change just as soon as her body became more cooperative. Garrus chuckled at that and deftly switched on the shower. He pulled Shepard into the spray and let her soak for a bit. Shepard suppressed a wince as the water made contact with the tender flesh of the healing wounds and tried to relax into the steaming spray.  
"You know," he drawled, "I rather enjoy the view. I think you've ruined me for my own species."  
"Good." He pulled out the soap and began the tedious process of lathering her skin while avoiding all of the wounds.  
"Territorial, hmmm? Good, I like that. I'm rather the same way which should explain why I wouldn't allow even someone as loyal as Liara to take this experience away." He backed away a bit allowing the spray to rinse her clean. Garrus then picked up the shampoo and began Shepard's official favorite part of the process. Those talons may be evolutionarily designed to rend a prey's flesh but they are amazing for a good scalp rub when he's careful. She tried not to shiver in response to the delicious sensation. "Besides," he leaned in close so that his deep, flanging voice sent more ripples across her skin, "who else in the galaxy can claim the honor of having the Great Commander Shepard at his mercy?" Shepard finally gave in and laughed,  
"Only you, Officer Vakarian."

 

Once the cleansing was complete and her skin was re-bandaged, Garrus finished the ritual by carefully brushing her hair (the singed off parts regrowing fairly well). In the past, Shepard tried to fight him on this a time or two as while awkward, she could manage it herself. Granted, she would have to use her left hand because of the multiple fractures in her right arm and hand, but it was still completely doable. Unfortunately, Shepard had not yet managed to convince Garrus of that. Somedays Shepard worried that her immovable stubbornness had rubbed off on him. Today is no different, but she saw him drooping with fatigue as he pulled the brush evenly through the strands.  
"Garrus, I know you're burning the candle at both ends and I'm worried that you're pushing yourself too hard. You've got enough to deal with without having to take care of me." Shepard tried to hold back a little of the bitterness. Deep in her heart, it had been killing her to feel so weak and useless. Everyone was working to the point of exhaustion to make their little encampment and she was bedridden. Garrus was one of the forerunners of that and yet he had to come back to her room a couple of times a day and do even more work. Garrus' hands stilled for a moment,  
"What is that human saying that Joker uses...something about a pot not calling a kettle black...hmm...not sure what either of those things are but I imagine it applies to you." Shepard snorted at that,  
"Hardly applies right now, I'm not doing anything." He sighed gustily and resumed brushing. There was nothing left of a tangle but he tended to keep going for a while anyways. Shepard wondered if it was a fascination with the concept of hair; he never missed a chance to touch it.  
"You're doing plenty. Recovering from a second near death experience that almost completely destroys your body is hard work."  
"It doesn't feel that way."  
"And those extra exercises that you've been doing to try to speed up your muscle recovery isn't really helping." Shepard flushed at that. She'd hoped that no one had noticed that she spent as much time as she could bear pushing her body trying to build her strength up again. "Dr. Chakwas is starting to threaten to involve Liara in techniques to keep you still.” Shepard shrugged a little,  
"The inactivity is killing me. I'm a soldier, there's no worse torture than inactivity especially when there's work to be done."  
"We're not the only ones you have to worry about if you start trying to take on more than you should. The rest of the crew all very adamantly share our opinion." He put down the brush and shifted to face her. "It's not what you do that makes you precious, it's who you are. We almost lost that when who you were ready to sacrifice yourself for everyone. There' s no Reapers now, no Geth attack, no anything. We're all just working on healing. We need you to do the same. Not because of what you could accomplish, but to preserve yourself...for us." His ice blue eyes pierced through her with the importance of his words.  
"Damn. There's no good response to that." He gently caressed her cheek with the back of his talon. "Can I still hate being in bed all day anyways?" She was rewarded with a good laugh and strong turian arms surrounding her.

With all the many things Garrus had to occupy himself with, Shepard never ceased to be amazed that he had also taken on the duty of taking care of her. Shepard heard the reports and the sheer amount of tasks and projects he was overseeing would be overwhelming to anyone. Yet every precious moment of downtime was spent playing nursemaid to an irritable invalid. She could understand him wanting to take some of the burden off of Dr. Chakwas but a lot of the tasks most of the other crew members could handle. Everyone had basic field medicine and could help her with changing bandages and cleansing wounds. Shepard was getting a little better at handling some of the necessities and anyone with arms and legs could bring her food. Shepard certainly didn't lack visitors and she was sure they wouldn't mind helping. Yet, Garrus always was the one who showed up at meal times with a tray laden with food for the both of them. He was always the one to take care of the minor medical issues and filled her in on all of the progress of the temporary camp. He had even taken upon himself to help her bathe everyday. Now, granted, the lack of appropriate helpers was a little sparse in that department but definitely not lacking. For a while Shepard would tease him that the last time they had both been in the shower prior to the collapse of civilization very little bathing was accomplished. His mandibles had opened a bit and his brow plates shifted upwards in what she had come to equate with a turian sly smile and he wouldn't say anything.  
Every now and then Shepard would express her worry to Liara or Tali that Garrus was about to burn out and asked if they would be willing to take on babysitting her for a while. Liara had just smiled, shook her head, and told Shepard that it was quite impossible at the moment. Liara refused to say more but she was clearly entertained by the whole thing. Tali, in her sweetly abrupt way, stated that most of the crew had offered to help in one way or another and Garrus had told them in no uncertain terms that it was one duty he refused to relinquish. She even heard from James that he had skipped a scouting mission or two if it meant missing taking Shepard a meal or seeing to her regular check up by Dr. Chakwas. Shepard was pretty floored when she heard it; Garrus had always been protective of her but this was a little over the top.  
Her only relief was knowing that he at least got regular meals and slept. Granted, he probably didn't sleep as much as he should; but Shepard had a way of making sure he at least got a few hours of rest. Being a Spector meant using all resources at hand even if it was to manipulate a little and tell him that if he's not rested she would be too worried to get any rest herself. Shepard tried to research if that was a turian thing or not but the extranet had been pretty unreliable lately as communication systems were still being repaired. Surely such a highly organized military society wouldn't require putting this much effort in the care taking of one person...but a lover...she didn't know.

 

Flashback  
Purgatory (pre final assault on Earth)

 

In retrospect, Shepard realized that getting into a drinking contest with a bunch of marines was a bad idea. Normally her judgement was a little better but she was just having so much fun. To be honest, it had been a long time since she was just another soldier blurring together with the thousands of others. Now she was the great Commander Shepard and had to appear a certain way. No more reckless nights without consequences; she was always having to worry about everyone else's well being and maintaining that image of strength and resolve.  
Having an ungodly amount of alcohol with a bunch of soldiers and trading improbable stories just felt too good to stop. When she started to get a little...fuzzy...she fully intended to call it a night. Then someone, in true marine fashion, made a cutting challenge to her constitution. Sadly, since she was fuzzy and enjoying herself, Shepard allowed herself to be baited where otherwise she knew better. Shepard figured Cerberus failed to restore her alcohol tolerance because she refused to believe she was capable of getting tanked off of a handful of shots of tequila.  
The rest of the night resolved into blurry images mixed with time lapses. Shepard prayed that the image she had of the dance floor was a hallucination and not her dancing inebriated. Dear God, let it be a hallucination. Shepard caught enough hell about her sober dancing.  
The last piece of the evening that Shepard really remembered was laying on a red couch with the music vibrating through her skin. Looking up she saw an asari and choose to believe that it wasn't Aria looking back down at her with amusement and some degree of shock. Shepard remembered trying to sit up awkwardly then heard a rumbling male voice speak. Aria said something sardonic but Shepard was too focused on trying to get her equilibrium back in line to pay attention. Then long fingers were on her cheek gently encouraging her to look up. A gentle turian face looked own at her with an expression pretty similar to Aria's. Shepard's vision was pretty blurry at this point so she couldn't make out any details as he towered over her with all of the flashing club lights at his back. Without any effort he hooked one of her arms around his neck and pulled her into a standing position. The room whirled dangerously for a moment forcing her to lean her entire weight upon the poor turian while desperately focusing on not further embarrassing herself heaving all off her drinks up on the floor. He chuckled into her ear and she thought she said something impolite about him being a little more sympathetic or being thrown up on. Whatever she said, it had Aria laughing pretty hard.  
The turian ignored Shepard's comment and persistently led her out of the club and towards the elevator. At this point Shepard wasn't in any condition to protest and was just doing her damnedest to not appear as hopelessly drunk as she was. Besides, that scent she was pressed up against had her relaxing against her will. Shepard wasn't sure if it's a turian scent or if it's unique to Garrus but he carried a particular scent that smelled something like sunbaked stone with a hint of smoke liberally dosed with gun oil. The scent was faint so naturally Garrus was the only turian Shepard tended to be close enough to catch it. The scent always made her feel relaxed...even a little off guard.  
One of the things Shepard truly treasured about Garrus was that she didn't have to be so strong, so perfect when she's with him. Garrus had known Shepard since she was a rookie Specter. They both had evolved together and Shepard had watched this rigid, uncertain C-Sec officer turn into a truly strong leader. Garrus was the one person in the galaxy who could see her with her guard down and not think she was weak...not become afraid or demoralized.  
Shepard's eyes drifted closed unable to stay awake and she trusted that this very nice smelling turian would get her wherever she needed to go. Maybe to the C-Sec office to sleep it off...  
Shepard was so focused on that scent that she didn't really notice her surroundings until she felt the jarring sensation of the lift stopping. Doors slid open and she noticed the blue glow of the fish tank. Shepard's senses were too dull to be surprised even when she was swept off her feet and placed in the bed. Shepard tried to keep her eyes open as she felt some fumbling at her feet but sleep was hitting hard and fast. Shepard vaguely felt her boots slide off but was distracted by the spinning of the room even behind closed eyes. As darkness pulled her under she remembered felling a warm, dry hand on her cheek and stiff lips on her forehead.

Hmmmm, perhaps this care taking streak wasn't so unprecedented after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Rebuilding

 

Shepard hobbled along the hallway with a hand and shoulder braced against the wall for support. Over the past few weeks, her health had progressed in leaps and bounds and her strength was slowly returning to her. She could now manage to walk, albeit at a dragging limp, and was able to take over some of her administrative duties. Dr. Chakwas insisted that she remain on light duty but she at least got a little more to do during the day. Despite the limited activity, she still went to bed with very sore and fatigued muscles.

"Commander, I have Admiral Hacket on the line." Joker cheerfully announced on the overhead speakers. "Try to hurry, the long distance fees are a bitch."  
"Joker." Shepard warned with a growl.  
"Sorry, Commander. I'm just having some fun finally having someone who walks my speed."  
"How are the communication relays proceeding with the circuit restructuring?" Shepard asked pointedly as his appointed task was frequently delayed by his afternoon naps.  
"You spoil all my fun." Shepard shook her head as she limped heavily into the communication room. Leaning a bit on the railing, she pressed the connection button. A chair rested nearby but she resisted the urge to sit despite her aching muscles. An image of a man flickered into view.  
"Commander. I can't say how good it is to see you." Hackett said without preamble. Shepard permitted herself a wry grin,  
"Me too, SIr."  
"Your crew has been keeping me posted on the progress and I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well. Things on earth are progressing at a good clip but not nearly fast enough for everyone. The alien races are getting a little antsy." Shepard laughed,  
"I don't envy you having an army of Krogan with nothing to fight." Hackett sighed,  
"You don't know the half of it. Thankfully, Victis is a fast thinker and has arranged all kind of training exercises and competitions to channel that energy. We're also trying to siphon off that enthusiasm into helping clear out the Reaper bodies and debris."  
"I heard that the geth are helping with transportation issues. Any progress there?"  
"Thankfully. It will be a few more months at least until a solid travel route to the various home worlds will be established. Until then, the surviving leaders of the alien races are working hard to work out how to continue the Alliance and ensure continued peace."  
"Without the Citadel that could be complicated."  
"Exactly, it won't help anyone if everyone just holes up on their world. There have been promising ideas thrown about. The Alliance counsel members have decided to establish something like what the Citadel was on a planet central to our home worlds. They've found a few colony planets that would work with a little more cultivation."  
"Sounds cozy. I'm amazed they're actually willing to continue the Alliance instead of going back to their home worlds to heal." Hackett nodded,  
"I'll admit that there was a lot of shocked looks when the counsel announced their decision but a lot of relief too. Until the relays are either rebuilt or an alternate means of space travel is found; our worlds are going to become a lot more isolated. That definitely leaves a lot more room for xenophobia or other conflicts to come up. There's good people on the counsel and they're good enough to be ready for a little personal sacrifice in order to hold on to what we almost became extinct to protect. On that note..." Hackett cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment, "...the counsel has made a recommendation for the next human representative."  
Shepard frowned a little and shifted uncomfortably,  
"Why do I get the feeling I won't like the news?"  
"Actually, I'm not sure what you'll think...they want you, Shepard." Shepard made a noise that was a cross between a snort and a choked cough.  
"Sir?"  
"It's true. The counsel said that you're their first choice. After all you've done for all the different species uniting everyone for the war, you have shown yourself to be a good peacekeeper and ready to do what it takes for the galaxy as a whole instead of just the humans. Between Cerberus and Udina, there's a lot of anti-human sentiment going around and you're the exception. I don't think that there's anyone in the galaxy who has one negative thing to say about you. You've even got an army of krogan shouting your name. I'd pity the idiot who bad mouthes you within earshot of them. To be honest, if you can unite the geth and the quarians, what else could you do? There's also the hope that since the krogan respect you, they will be more likely to listen to you and we can avoid another krogan rebellion. From what I hear, Eve is doing a great job drilling sense into the krogan but I think another voice couldn't hurt." Shepard chuckled,  
"And if that doesn't work, a good head-but usually gets their attention." Hackett laughed at that.  
"I've heard some stories..." Shepard shook her head  
"To be fair, I had mass genocide by an unstoppable enemy to prompt everyone to put their grudges aside."  
"True, but that's where the counsel stands." Hackett hesitated for a moment and fidgeted a bit adjusting his clothes. "Look, Shepard. After all you've done for the galaxy...all the sacrifices you've made...no one is going to tell you to do anything. As far as I'm concerned, you've more than earned a rest and a station anywhere you want. No matter what you decide to do after this moment, I'm with you." Shepard stared at him dumbly for a full minute unable to formulate a response. Hundreds of thoughts and options crowded her mind finally being toppled over by the blazing praise and support of Hackett.  
"Thank you, SIr." Shepard leaned a little heavier on the railing and wasn't sure if her muscles were trembling from shock or fatigue. "I can see the counsel's point but I don't know if I would be a good politician...or even stand it. I'm a soldier, Sir."  
"I think that's part of the appeal. Udina was a politician through and through and look what that did. I think everyone's tired of political maneuvering and just want to focus on returning to normalcy. And admittedly, soldiers get that done best. Besides, look at your peers. Most of the leaders of the respective worlds are of military background." Shepard shook her head a little trying to clear a little room from all the thoughts clamoring for attention.  
"It's a lot to take in, Sir. I need...a little time."  
"Understood, Shepard." Was it her imagination or did he appear relieved? "We've still got lots of time so take as long as you like. On a positive note, you may be getting some help in the near future. One of the geth ships are traveling to your location to provide additional supplies and to help with restoring the Normandy."  
"Really? I would have thought we were low on the list of priorities since we're pretty stable right now." Hackett smiled,  
"The geth insisted, actually. They were pretty adamant that ‘Shepard Commander’ was well taken care of." Shepard felt a sharp pang of loss at that title but she still smiled fondly.  
"They always did think of organics first." She murmured.  
"In the meantime, rest up and focus on healing. Hackett out."  
"Thank you, Sir." Shepard whispered into the empty room. Shepard limped out of the room and stopped in the conference room to look out the window. Garrus was talking to a handful of soldiers gesturing at times to the jungle beyond them. James ran by with several soldiers in PT gear and called out something that had the Garrus laughing. Kaiden was at the hull breach using his biotics to levitate a fairly large piece of metal and hold it in place while engineers hastily secured it. Tali was conversing with Adams both with their OmniTools lit up. In the distance she could make out Liara and Javik talking to each other while examining some kind of fauna. Shepard smiled, this was what the Alliance truly represented. Not which species had more power or ability but how they could work together to make amazing things happen. Together the many species had stopped the Reapers who had destroyed all advanced civilizations for millions of years. Shepard rested her forehead on the cool metal frame. Should she give up her dream of a quiet life with Garrus in order to preserve this or give in to her own desires and enjoy what they had found? She shared Mordin's mentality that it had to be her because anyone else would get it wrong. Yet, how could she be without Garrus? How would the Alliance view such a relationship? Would it hurt anything good she tried to build. How would she endure all the quagmires of politics without his mischievous grin and sardonic comments? How would she be able to sleep without nightmares without him sleeping next to her with his sweet purring?

Later that evening, Shepard reclined leaning against Garrus' chest as she glanced over a data pad of the latest repairs. Garrus was propped up by the headboard and seemed content to stare up at the skylight thoughtfully with his arms loosely embracing her. This had started to become a standard position for them in their off duty hours. His strength and warmth eased sore muscles and she felt so content wrapped in his scent.  
"Feel better?" He finally said startling her a bit as he had been quiet so long that she thought he'd fallen asleep.  
"I'll feel better when Joker stops challenging me to limping races." She said with a sigh. Garrus chuckled at that.  
"There has been a little side betting on who would win. You'll be happy to know that the odds are still in your favor." Shepard arched her eyebrows,  
"Please tell me you're kidding." She tossed the data pad aside.  
"We're on a deserted planet with limited extranet access; there's a lot of things being done in the name of entertainment that you're probably better off not knowing." Shepard ran a hand over her face.  
"I shudder to think." Garrus rested his chin on the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply,  
"Like a shocking cross species liaison between a turian and a human?" Shepard rested her hands along the arms encircling her,  
"Well if you get bored enough you could tell the Primarch and watch the fireworks." Garrus' mandibles flared in a grin,  
"And what do you think Hackett would say?" Shepard managed a small shrug.  
"I think both of them will be too happy that the galaxy didn't end to care for a while at least." Garrus tightened his hold and pressed his lips to her skin.  
"And later?"  
"Hmmm, I guess we'd better have our retirement location picked out."  
"Somewhere nice and secluded where no pesky Alliance or Counsel can find you and make you go save the universe for them." Shepard closed her eyes and reached up to caress his fringe growing very still. Garrus drew in his mandibles tightly, his gaze sharpening. "Shepard?" She didn't reply for long moments and Garrus sighed. "What did Hackett ask you to do?" Shepard mirthlessly chuckled,  
"What makes you think he asked me anything?"  
"Because I know you and you just got very quiet like you always do when reminded of a tough responsibility."  
"That is a lot of assuming." Garrus traced a talon up the side of her neck and along her jaw.  
"Am I wrong?" Shepard blew out a sigh,  
"No." She opened her eyes again. "The Counsel wants me to take over as the human representative." Garrus just stared at her, mouth gaping. "No witty retort?" She teased turning to gaze into his eyes.  
"I will once my brain starts again, that's a lot to lay on someone." Shepard gently pressed her forehead against his.  
"Exactly."  
"Hmmmm, think a human turian affair would get you off the hook?"  
"I doubt it, humans are a little more easy going about that sort of thing." Garrus' mandibles flared a bit,  
"Wouldn't hurt to try." Shepard smiled a bit and kissed his mandible. "I don't know what to do. I hate the idea of more struggles and they're the kind I can't shoot at. But..."  
"But it's what you do best and you know that they need you." She nodded slowly. "As hard a question as it is, no matter what I'll be beside you. Whether it's at an Alliance planet or our on reclusive retirement site making sure no one gets within ten miles of you. Nothing will ever change that. No Vakarian without Shepard, remember?” He pressed his lips to hers and savored the feel of their yielding softness. Shepard raised a hand to brush against his scared mandible then moved lower to trace the scar lines along his neck.  
"I couldn't do it without you"  
"At least not as flashily."

*******************************************************

 

It wasn't long before Garrus received a notice from Joker that Primarch Victus was on the line for him. He had been sending regular reports but he suspected that after hearing about Hackett's news to Shepard that Victus would have something to say as well.  
Garrus entered the communication room and stiffened his spine. He wasn't a good turian about following rules but he still cared enormously about his people. He prayed to the Spirits that Victus didn't try to put him in a position to compromise his beliefs or his love. Garrus hit the switch and Victus came into view. Victus looked to be sporting some bandages but otherwise seemed to be well.  
"Primarch." Garrus nodded. "Nothing new to report. Conditions are stable and repairs are proceeding as planned."  
"Good to hear. We're going to need you and the the Normandy's crew up to speed as soon as possible. There's a lot of unrest and we need to focus on getting everything settled as soon as possible. On that note, I sent a message to your father and sister as you requested and let them know that you're okay."  
"Thank you. Are they still off world?"  
"Yes, they're on the moon helping reorganize the troops before heading back to Palavan." Garrus heaved an internal sigh of relief at that. "I've contacted you for another matter than the status of things." Victus continued. "As you may have heard, the Alliance Counsel will be relocated to a colony planet in the near future. Naturally, we'll be reestablishing C-SEC. Right now we've already begun recruiting since all of the counsel species happen to be in the same place but we need a reliable and experienced chain of command. That being said, I would like to appoint you as head of C-SEC for the new Alliance Counsel territory."  
"Head of C-SEC?" Garrus said dazedly.  
"You're one of the few remaining C-SEC officers still alive, you have extensive experience dealing with other species and your connection with Shepard will give the Turians some strategic benefits should she accept the job as the human representative." Garrus' mind was whirling and he said the first of many concerns that flew to his mind.  
"Ah...Primarch...I'm not sure anyone would be happy with someone being appointed to C-SEC abusing their connection to Shepard." Victus shrugged nonchalantly.  
"That's the way it's been since the beginning of time. Just like in any war, positioning and alliances are everything. We're in a prime position to take over C-SEC again and why not do a little beneficial maneuvering in the process?" Garrus' spine got a little stiffer and his mandibles drew in close.  
"Shepard has a mind of her own, I doubt any influence from me will change anything."  
"Never hurts trying. And as I said, your connection isn't the only thing that qualifies you. You're still the best man for the job." Garrus struggled with that. He couldn't deny that a part of him found that position very appealing. He was still a man of action and the idea of being in a position to make a difference was tempting. Yet, that meant secrecy, being apart from Shepard, and that he couldn't tolerate. He was well and truly addicted and would give her up for no one.  
"Well...I may not be as qualified as you think..." he hazarded. If Primarch was going to force the issue then he would give him something to think on. "There may be some...things...that would prevent other turians from accepting me in a role of authority."  
"Such as?" Victis' brow plates shifted and his mandibles flared a little, was that amusement he was seeing?  
"Well...Shepard and I...we...we're..." Garrus scratched at his fringe trying to find a way to phrase what amounted to treason.  
"Mated? Yes, we already knew." Victus stated matter of factly. Garrus' jaw dropped and all speech deserted him. Victus sighed and the expression of amusement heightened. "You do realize that myself and many of the high ranking military personnel were standing right there when you and Shepard had that little moment there on Earth, right?" Garrus was pretty sure that if it was possible for a turian to ever blush, this would be the moment it happened.  
"I had been a little distracted at the time, Sir." He drawled, mind racing. To be honest, any time Shepard was in a room without bullets flying he was wholly distracted. Victus chuckled and folded his arms over his chest,  
"At ease, boy. Do you really think you're the first to fall for a human? They're tenacious if a bit brash and they look close enough to asari that it's not a complete leap. Granted, it's not something most turians are comfortable with and I'd hold off telling your father if I was you. However, given that it's Shepard, I think most turians couldn't blame you. If ever a cross species incident were to occur, Shepard makes it bearable. I discussed this with the rest of our officials and our Counsel representative and we still feel you're acceptable in that position. Hell, that fact that you two are so close will give you more insight into her motives and thoughts."  
"I will not use my relationship with Shepard to manipulate her!"  
"Heh, I doubt you or anyone else could. But you're still in a better position to work with her than anyone else. Look, just think about it."  
"Sir." Garrus said with a resigned nod and the connection dropped. Garrus sighed heavily and lowered his head, "Now what?" The benefits were obvious but it all seemed too good to be true. Here he was being offered his dream position on a silver platter with the bonus of the turian Primarch's blessing of his and Shepard's relationship. He would be able to stay with her, guard her, and work on doing some good to preserve what they had saved. Maybe it was the turian in him but anything that was too good to be true usually was.  
Garrus left the communication room and headed up to Shepard's quarters. He entered without hesitation whereas in the past he used to be so uncertain and always knocked. He had to smile at how far he had come. He stood in the middle of the room and inhaled deeply loving the combined scents of himself and Shepard wafting through the air. A few of his personal items had wandered into the room such as his favorite rifles, some extra sets of clothes, personal data pads, and hygiene items. A few pictures even littered on the desk. He had been determined to take a few ever since they were reunited since there had been none of her after her death. This little haven that they had created for themselves was filled with laughter, pleasure, tears, and nightmares alike. It was them and he'd be damned if he ever lost something so precious again. Garrus closed his eyes and brushed his fingers along Shepard's planet-side gear piled on the couch in preparation for some maintenance and cleaning.  
Thank the Spirits they had time to figure this out.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: There is a bit of a lime in this one but it’s brief and doesn’t contain anything graphic so I don’t think it qualifies any special warnings.

 

MOMENTUM

 

The Geth ship arrived faster than could be accounted for with the mass effects down, so fast that their transmission to notify of approach to the atmosphere caught the crew a little off guard. Shepard made a mental note of this and held a little more hope that their return to normalcy would be in her lifetime. Shepard waved off any attempt for the crew to assemble a welcome party or other official rank and order greeting as it was all quite lost on the Geth. She strode forward as best she could on her slowly recovering legs but her eyes still held all the confidence and ferocity of the great commander Shepard. Traynor trailed behind her still acting as communications officer and was the one who was first to receive the Geth transmission.  
"Shepard, Commander." The mechanical voice intoned. The red Geth towered over her and she tried not to flinch. Shepard at times wondered if the Geth ever appreciated what an intimidating figure they made. "Remaining repairs are estimated to take 48 hours by standard organic time measurements." It stated without preamble.  
"That soon?"  
"Most of the complex structures have already been repaired enough to tolerate flight. The remaining structures can be repaired with the materials provided. Additional Geth will remain on board to continue repairs on nonessential structures." Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard noted the smaller Geth already unloading materials from their vessels and moving purposefully towards the Normandy.  
"What's the rush? We can stay long enough for all the repairs to be made. I don't want to be rushing headlong into space and have something fall off."  
"Unlikely. It is a .0056 percent chance for an essential element to become unstable during space travel at this point in repairs."  
"Still, why do we need to leave before everything is fixed?"  
"Council representatives requested that Shepard Commander leave this planet to return to Alliance space as soon as travel is viable."  
"Naturally." Shepard resisted the urge to sigh and turned toward Traynor, "Very well, tell the crew they've got 48 hours of shore leave...such as it is...and then it's back to the Alliance. Vacation's over." Traynor nodded crisply and departed.  
"Shepard Commander, I have detected seven abnormalities within the synthetic devices implanted in your body. I am capable of correcting them." The Geth's faceplates were twitching in that jittery way Legion would do when uncertain. Shepard quelled the pang of loss and schooled her features to neutral amusement.  
"Are they causing any problems?"  
"No but they are impairing overall functioning by 12.27 percent."  
"I can live with that."  
"You wish to continue with the limitations despite being able to correct them?"  
"Yes. It's an organic thing."  
"We are...starting to analyze this. Consensus is still being established to understand new organic data inserted into our databases. No further information available."  
"I know the feeling." Shepard grinned then swept a hand through her hair. "Is there anything else you need from us to finish the repairs?"  
"Nothing further." The Geth hesitated a moment, "Shepard Commander...thank you." With that, the Geth departed and the mass of them descended upon the Normandy to initiate a flurry of repairs that put their own desperate efforts to shame. Shepard watched for a moment appreciating the intricate and precise patterns the Geth wove as they went about their work. Each movement was perfectly coordinated with the others making the process a flawless dance of metal and sparks. Shepard let her thoughts drift for a while to to impending return to reality and duty. If the Alliance was getting antsy then things might be less stable than Hackett implied. This meant not only an end to their brief period of respite, but an ending. Everyone would be dispersed to the ends of the galaxies and there was no telling if she would ever see any of them again. Even if she did, there would be no more Normandy. Shepard would no longer be at the galaxy map leading the Normandy; she would be behind a desk negotiating with politicians. Shepard grimaced and rubbed her eyes. Much as she was drained and tired deep in her bones from this fight, the thought of being tied to an office and away from combat filled her with a helpless kind of melancholy. It was truly and end of things. Liara would return to her new Shadowbroker base no doubt also spending some time at Thessia, her crew would be assigned to other ships, Kaiden would go on to Specter duties, Tali would return to Rannoch to build a new life for her people, and EDI would follow Joker wherever he was assigned. Javik had been ominously quiet about his plans for the future. He once said that when all was done he would kill himself but it was difficult to tell if he was still of that mind. Often she would see him in meditation when not helping the crew. When approached about plans, he would respond with his normal acidy replies that stifled any further questions.  
The sun was well on it's way to the horizon and Shepard could already catch the hazy scent of smoke of the evening campfire. The cheerful calls of her crew filled the air as people began to focus on the task of food and finding a good seat. It had become part of the daily routine for everyone to gather around the large campfire at night for dinner and to relax after a day's work. It was a time for bonding, laughter, and an extended celebration of the end of the Reapers. Once Shepard had recovered enough to gain some level of mobility she had been allowed to join in much to the enthusiasm of her crew. Her first night had been filled with increasingly exaggerated stories and the inevitable Reaper jokes. Joker was always at the ready with a humorous story or two and he and Garrus were developing quite the contest of who had the most interspecies jokes.  
Shepard approached the fire grimacing at the limp that still plagued her even as it improved. Groans and cheers could be heard over who had won (or lost) the coin flip for cooking duties. Upon reaching the brightly dancing flames Shepard gave a brief, sharp whistle to call everyone's attention.  
"Alright everyone, as you've all doubtlessly seen, the Geth have arrived and estimate that with their repairs we'll be space bound in 48 hours." Cheers and applause burst from everyone and Shepard allowed herself a nostalgic grin drinking in the moment. "Once enrout we return to regular shifts and duties. Geth are estimating travel time at two weeks to return to Earth. From there we report to the Alliance and receive new assignments. Dismissed." Faint murmurs erupted throughout the camp as people discussed the ominous 'new assignments'. As she turned, she found Garrus standing discretely to the side, mandibles slightly flared, standing with his arms crossed and a hip cocked. Standard arrogant, turian male pose. Shepard nudged his shoulder as she passed. "You look awfully pleased with yourself." Garrus fell into step with that easy saunter that he reserved for celebrating his most impressive shots...humbly of course.  
"Naturally, I finally get you behind a desk where I can keep an eye one you," he paused at Shepard's groan and spared her a grin, " and I get to be in a position to do some good where I don't also have to worry about the destruction of the universe. But do you know what the best part is?" Shepard shook her head and found an opportune seat nearest to the blaze. Garrus sat next to her stretching his feet out to the warmth. "The best part is that I know whenever there is a problem that can only be solved with the Black Widow, you'll be right there next to me watching my six even if you are supposed to stay behind a desk." Garrus mock cuffed Shepard and as she caught his fist he drew her in close.  
"Garrus and Shepard in one city, who would dare be so stupid to cross the council?"  
"Well, the Shadowbroker might, if he or she ever thought the leaders were getting too arrogant." Came a soft, playful reply. Liara stepped from the flickering shadows behind them carrying a plate filled with various odd edibles. "You'd better hurry or the illustrious Shepard /Garrus duo will find themselves going hungry." Shepard chuckled and rose allowing herself a luxurious stretch in the process. Her eyes fell upon her crew again as they ate and laughed and she valiantly suppressed a wave of regret for what was to come. Odd how even though they were victorious, it was still an end. A warm hand pressed into the small of her back and Shepard looked up into the sharp blue of Garrus' eyes. No words were spoken, none needed to be. It was an end, but now they also had a beginning.

 

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The repairs finished with the precise timing the Geth were notorious for and they soon found themselves back into the familiar abyss of space escorted by the small fleet of Geth ships. The Normandy was flying beautifully and EDI confirmed that everything was functioning within normal range. Joker still groused that the alignment was off and spent hours arguing with the Geth about the calibrations of the navigation and piloting programs. Much to Joker's ire, and Shepard's amusement, EDI just watched with a small smile on her face.  
The crew appeared somewhat subdued during the journey as if they were trying to privately savor the last journey of the Normandy. Even though the ship itself would likely continue on with a new commander, it would never be the same Normandy without Shepard at the helm. The Geth stayed on only a few more days until the repairs were satisfactory by their stringent standards. Javik, in the end, boarded the Geth vessel and elected to disappear with them. Shepard chose to quietly watch him leave holding onto the memory shard and said nothing.  
Five days into the flight an unknown ship approached the Normandy piloted by a familiar drell. Liara had approached Shepard with gear already in hand and an apologetic smile on her lips.  
"Shepard...I'll be returning to the new Shadowbroker base. Feron has already initiated the transfer of systems and it is imperative that I get to the base and reestablish my connections and contacts. I apologize for the suddenness, but it's important that the Alliance not be able to track my movements for a while. It...may be a while before we see each other again." Liara's voice trembled and she paused a moment to master herself. "Please know how important you are to me, and that I will always be there to help you. I'll be watching." Shepard pulled her into a fierce hug.  
"Try at least to make a little trouble so I can have an excuse to get away from paper pushing for a while."  
"I'm sure I could manufacture something that might be a suitable challenge for the person who destroyed the Reapers...for a fee." Liara winked then slipped from the embrace and swiftly disappeared along the corridors. Shepard did her best to maintain a stoic presence but found it more difficult every time she passed the empty lab.  
Tali was often by her side through much of the flight seeming to try to fill up with as many memories as she could. Shepard had a little more forewarning about Tali's departure, as she assisted Traynor with coordinating with the fleet to pick Tali up at a point in the route that took them nearest to Rannoch. When the time came, Tali was far less composed than Liara and the distortion in her voice was not entirely from her mask. Tali hugged her fiercely and for the hundredth time looked over Shepard's omnitool to ensure that the range was as strong as a Quarian could make it.  
"Raan held onto my beachfront property; she thinks we could have a beautiful home built within a few months." Tali said as she moved to the door. "Try not to get too bogged down in paperwork to visit me. Maybe by then I'll be able to talk to you without this damned suit in the way."  
"I'll bring you some seeds for your garden." Tali embraced her one more time then swiftly turned away and all but fled into the airlock to board the ship.  
"Keeva Sali, Tali Vas Normandy." Shepard said softly. Tali glanced over her shoulder before the door closed,  
"Keeva Sali."

 

****************************************************

 

Maintaining the stoic and unflappable image was getting more difficult as her long time comrades evaporated from the ship. The remaining humans seemed to pull into themselves, already preparing emotionally for the separation. Joker did his best to liven things with jokes, pranks, and disturbing karaoke sessions over the intercom but often his humor sounded a bit strained. EDI stayed near him with a worried expression but overall appeared to indulge him. Probably more than anyone, Joker was the most adrift. He relied on the crew as his surrogate family more heavily than the others and not only was he losing his family, he was likely losing the ship as well. The Alliance had grounded him before because of his physical limitations, the odds were likely it would happen again. Joker often laughed and told Shepard that he would be her chauffeur and Shepard would reply that she wouldn't be able to afford the traffic tickets. Neither one was able to talk about how afraid they were of the sudden and dramatic changes engulfing them.  
Things were running so smoothly that Shepard found herself at odds with her free time. She couldn't recall a time in years when her terminal wasn't filled to capacity with urgent messages begging for help, having crew members stopping her in the hall with issues or fears, or she didn't have to spend endless hours strategizing and negotiating. More often than not, Shepard found herself in the exercise area beginning the painful process of building muscles and regaining stamina. Dr. Chakwas must have been having the same problems since there were no battles to patch people up from; she often miraculously appeared in the room when Shepard started and was able to observe and at times gently 'redirect' Shepard's efforts when they became a little too vigorous.  
Yet even at she started to a feel a little of her old vitality return to her, her leg was still slow to recover, and her crew still evaded any attempts at sparing. James declined a boxing match with an easy laugh stating that having his ass kicked by Commander Shepard once was bad enough. Kaiden flat out told her that he was more scared of Garrus for fighting her than he was of Shepard. He wisely fled fast after that comment. Her initial attempts to broach the issue with Garrus were met with vague excuses and after a while he got very good at being too busy to discuss it. So by the tenth day of the journey Shepard found herself so wound up she cornered Garrus in the Battery and outright demanded a sparing session, training, or anything to help take her mind off things.  
"No." He stated flatly not looking up from his infernal calibrations.  
"Why not?" He stopped and just stared at her over his shoulder with brow plates shifting low. "Really, I'm not asking for a full on session. Just something to get me started again." She planted her hands on her hips; the unstoppable Shepard. Garrus turned fully, continuing to stare at her and crossed his arms over his chest; the unmovable turian. Shepard ran a hand through her hair with an exasperated sigh,  
"Look, I'll even take it easy on the leg..." Before Shepard could blink at the sudden rush of air Garrus was suddenly behind her with her arms pinned behind her back.  
"That's why." He growled into her ear. Shepard sighed loftily,  
"Not being able to keep up with a turian in hand to hand combat after recovering from an injury is not proof of your point. Hell, aren't there enough jokes about how no one can keep up with a turian period?"  
"I'll end up hurting you. The skin...it's so...fragile..." His talons tightened slightly for emphasis.  
"Not anymore. Even Dr. Chakwas says I'm good to start retraining. Besides, I need to start rebuilding; I refuse to go in front of that council as anything less than I was. If I start shaking from a little exertion then they'll underestimate me."  
"Underestimate the woman who single handedly stopped the Reapers?"  
"Not single handedly."  
"You were alone up there in the Citadel." A shuddering breath fanned against her neck.  
"Not alone. Never alone, remember?" Garrus' grip tightened further but she refused to indicate any discomfort.  
"Damn it, Shepard! How am I supposed to forget what was done to you? The wrecked flesh held together by charred armor; buried in the debris of the Citadel? How can I ever let you out of my sight again knowing that you almost died alone? Again.”  
"You don't have to. If anything like the Reaper's ever comes back I intend to go on vacation on the other side of the universe."  
"Liar. You'll be the first one in the trenches." Shepard chuckled,  
"True, that's who I am. I can't quietly hide or be locked up like some kind of china. I'm a soldier, I always will be." Shepard turned her head slightly so her forehead brushed against his. "You have to stop coddling me."  
"I know. It's what I love about you. I just hate feeling so helpless...I've...I've never had to face loosing something I loved before I met you. It was always about pride or mission. Before I met you, I never appreciated what it truly meant to have something so important and experiencing the fear of living without it. I've grieved you for dead twice now." Garrus managed a shaky laugh, "So this is your fault after all. I'm just a helpless Turian soldier." Shepard snorted,  
"Yea, totally defenseless with his sniper rifle and kill counter in his visor."  
"Exactly." Garrus pressed closer to her even as he released his hold. Shepard turned and wrapped her arms around his neck pressing her forehead firmly to his. "Well, I guess there are other ways to blow off steam." Garrus stiffened and the hands that had gently come to rest on her hips flexed.  
"Shepard...I..." She silenced him by pressing her lips to his stubborn mouth. They had yet to...blow off steam...since he carried her near lifeless body to the wreckage of the Normandy. Likely for the exact same reasons he was afraid to spar with her. Yet, his desire to resume that activity was certainly much more apparent than his desire to spar with her. Garrus had been pretty wound up himself aching for her but tried to hide it by isolating in the battery mindlessly fiddling with a canon that was no longer needed.  
Shepard kneaded her fingertips where his neck met his fringe eliciting a frustrated growl. "If you don't stop treating me like a helpless invalid, I'm going to break something important to prove my point." She murmured against his lips. Garrus couldn't help a nervous chuckle at that because it was such a Shepard comment that it felt like old times all over again. Garrus had done his best to ignore the needs with of his body as he lay pressed against her each night, his mind supplying him with vivid images of her devastated flesh. But he also had to acknowledge her point. Should their positions be reversed, he would feel the same way and no matter how much the memories ate at him, he would risk losing her even more surely if he treated her as any less than she was. Garrus relaxed slightly and nodded. Shepard eased her hold and turned toward the door pulling him with her.  
"It's almost meal time and I'd rather we not be disturbed...or heard..." She grinned and led him as swiftly as she could to the elevator and then on to her cabin. Once there Shepard removed her clothing with brisk efficiency and stood in front of him gesturing at the now healthy skin. The wounds were closed leaving only pale scars to tell of what she had endured. Garrus felt a shiver of pure desire slide through his body at the sight and had his own clothing removed before he quite realized what he was doing. Garrus approached her slowly and stood achingly close to her yet without touching her.  
"Shepard." His voice almost sounded pleading as it rumbled through her veins. His hands would draw near only to retreat again, his body tense as a drawn bow. Shepard pressed hands to his face tracing her fingers down along his throat following sharp shoulders then winding inward to marvel at the softer hide of inner arm and sides. Shepard scraped a short nail along the more sensitive skin eliciting a rumble of approval mixed with painful need. His hand again moved to grasp her as they had done countless times in the past. Reached to grab supple skin yielding and warm as desert sand. Skin so fragile yet able to mend so quickly. Again his hands hesitated centimeters away, talons curling inward fearfully. A breathless whimper caught in the back of his throat. Shepard pressed her lips firmly to his own, distracting him by tracing each ridge and point of his unyielding lips and mandibles with tongue and lips. Her hands brushed along his own twining her fingers through his capturing his long digits expertly. She pulled his hands to her chest and paused a moment to let him feel the warmth there, the steady rhythm of her heart. Garrus froze, his eyes snapping open to search her gaze. Shepard gave him an exasperated smile and pulled his hands down along her torso guiding them along the curves and valleys. A ripple shuddered through his restrained muscles as he watched her guide his hands along skin he had loved so much and for so long. Now it all seemed foreign all over again. The flesh seemed so fragile and torn. How could he trust his cruel talons to leave it intact? So many nights in medbay watching the slightest touch cause horrible bruising; the smallest of movements reopening vicious gashes. The evidence of the horror lined her skin in pale marks crisscrossing the fair skin. Ivory streaked peach like the first breath of dawn on Palavan. The path of their joined hands left the familiar trail of red and pink that had almost become as erotic to him as a turian female's primed fringe. It struck him now how gruesome it must be to see skin damage so but it had been a part of the lovemaking from the beginning. Even now Shepard still evidenced no sign of pain, no hesitation or wince. She only smiled at him with patient eyes full of love. Another fierce tremor ripped through him as need built and spiked pushing past fear and caution. His mate stood before him, her scent ripe with desire and life, encouraging him, willing him to give in to this ancient ritual. Garrus gasped at the feelings choking him. So much joy and gratitude and love that it was both thrilling and terrifying. Just like their first night together. When they had lain in each others arms afterwords he had felt this way. It was then that he finally had to admit how desperately in love with this strange and amazing human female he was. That he was hopelessly addicted and could never again return to normal life. That she would forever be the sun his life would orbit.  
Now, there was nothing left between them. No war, no threats, no fear. Just them...as always. Garrus gave in and let his tongue follow the path his hands had made soothing and caressing the silky softness. She reacted with a full shiver, her pulse quickening. His hands came to life again and found her hips. Her fingers still entwined with his, he twisted his wrist so now his hands took control of hers and kept them captive at her hips. He worshiped her skin and relished each movement and sound. He reclaimed and adored every part of her until her voice long passed quiet sighs to breathless moans. Garrus held her still while he indulged the primal urge to reestablish his claim, his territory, his home. By the time he finally stopped torturing himself and gave in to the desperate need screaming through his veins, Shepard was swearing at him in a growling voice that was so deliciously turian that he had to add a delicate bite to her shoulder as he filled her. Just the barest prickle of teeth, a pinprick of sensation but enough to assert dominance and earn a heated laugh. They moved together but he held her still both as a personal indulgence and also a way of ensuring no further injury. Weakened muscles strained and protested the immobility but he murmured into her sweat drenched hair that it was muscle building exercises. She laughed that low, husky laugh that always nicely heated his blood. Pain and fear fell away to pleasure and joy as they tumbled over the edge and landed somewhere near peace.


End file.
